The photo of a bunch of black millionaires with a boatload of white beauties reminded me of one of my own sports-related experiences in the deep south. I was headed for a soccer game–in the back of a station wagon in which all the other passengers were dark-skinned (South Africa, Brazil, Columbia, Paraguay…I think I was the only native Yankee in the group). We were pulled over by the Tennessee police who were about to give the drive a hard time when they saw me in the back, reconsidered, and let us go.

I’m not a big fan of Benson (I was betting the Bears would draft a guard that year, with Jones on the roster I really thought they’d try to find an understudy for old Reuben Brown), but I’ve personally seen Southern, racist cops in action. Later in life, as a deputy prosecutor, I dismissed many arrests where the cops made a bad arrest, sometimes by letting their egos get in the way. On at least 1 occasion, it was clear the officers made a point of arresting a black man because he was dating a white woman (sorry to say, but things like this do still happen–thankfully not as often anymore…not that it makes any difference, but I’m a white guy married to a Chinese woman and I was the victim of racism in Taiwan–and, once, of a bad arrest based on a false police report).

So, I say give Benson the benefit of the doubt at this point–the arresting officers were probably Cowboys fans (and I’d probably get irate if I was out having a good time and some cops started hassling me). Might Benson have been drunk? Maybe. Might the cops have been jealous of a black athlete with a boatload of beautiful white girls while they have some fat, toothless wives at home? Maybe. So far, the dozen witnesses on the boat seem to be supporting Benson’s side of the story…and I’ve been around long enough to know that police lie and manipulate the truth at times (less so, probably, but it still happens).